‘Hawaii Five-0′ Season 2: More Characters, New Locales

Published 3 years ago
by
Kevin Yeoman
, Updated June 13th, 2011 at 11:52 am,

(If you have yet to see season 1 of Hawaii Five-0, this article may contain spoilers. Read on at your own risk.)

Caught between the demographic stealing Monday Night Football, and the counter-programming of the Nathan Fillion-led hit Castle (ironically on the former home of Monday Night Football), Hawaii Five-0had its work cut out for it from the get go.

Though the show fell short of becoming the next NCISor CSI the network was looking for, H50did manage to earn a solid and loyal fan base – who will no doubt be expecting more from the show’s return this fall.

In keeping with those fans’ expectations, CBS and executive producer Peter Lenkov have big plans for theHawaii Five-0 team in season 2. With shooting expected to begin sometime in July, the series’ writers have plotted much of the second season – which will not only reconcile the dramatic cliffhanger of the first year finale, but also integrate some new cast members.

When last we saw them, the team had been essentially disassembled. Team leader Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) was being led away in handcuffs by Chin Ho Kelly (Daniel Day Kim) – presumed guilty of murdering Governor Pat Jameson (Jean Smart). While rookie Kono Kalakaua (Grace Park) was being investigated by internal affairs for her role in some $200,000 that went missing from an asset forfeiture locker earlier in the season – leaving Danno Williams (Scott Caan) the only member of the team capable of clearing McGarrett’s name – at great cost to his personal life.

Lenkov admits the cliffhanger he wrote with Paul Zbsyzewki (Lost), which ended season 1, was done to create a seamless transition into the season 2 premiere.

“…we were writing the finale, and also writing the first episode of Season 2 at almost the same time. In order to put [characters] in those kinds of situations, you have to know the endgame. You can’t just put it in and then paint yourself into a corner and think, ‘How do I get them out?’ But we had all these really strong ideas of what we wanted to do in Season 2, and a lot of it is based on how we leave them at the end of Season 1.”

Without the team together, there isn’t much of a show. Lenkov assures fans that the kind of conflict season 1 ended on can be entertaining (for a short while), but achieving some semblance of normalcy will be the main goal – at least for the first episode.

“There is a resolution at the end of [the first episode], but we still keep a big part of it open. So the team is sort of back together, not really. There are some dynamics that have changed in how they’re going to move forward. There’s also a new governor who’s not going to be as lenient as the last governor, because the last governor had an agenda.”

Obviously a new governor will be sworn in, and have the ability to directly oversee the Five-0 team. While we don’t yet know who will fill the role, Lenkov did let slip some details about the character – and why he or she will create a much different dynamic for Steve McGarrett and his team.

“The last governor gave them full immunity and means, but that was just because she wanted to make McGarrett happy, and she was keeping an eye on him. I think the new governor is sort of more realistic and is going to draw the line — he may give them jurisdiction, but maybe not the immunity and means they had last season. The idea is maybe he’s going to be a little more strict with them.”

That means no more taping grenades to pawn shop doors like in the episode ‘Powa Maka Mona’.

Masi Oka as Dr. Max Bergman

The upheaval stemming from the events of season 1 won’t be the only thing Hawaii Five-0 focuses on in the upcoming season, Lenkov warns. Unlike other CBS shows, the primary Hawaii Five-0 cast will return entirely – and make a few additions.

“…we’re adding another [member] to this task force. And I’m really excited because there are some major surprises — there’s one in the first episode of the season that I’m hoping is as shocking as the governor being bad. We think it is, but we’re hoping it’s amazing, ‘oh my god, I can’t believe they did that.’ So I’m looking forward to that.”

There is a list of usual suspects, involved briefly during the first season, who seem to be a shoe-in for the new member on the task force – Masi Oka (Heroes) and Larisa Oleynik (Mad Men, Psych) immediately come to mind.

In May, it was announced that guest star Masi Oka was going to be promoted to series regular. Oka will continue to play Dr. Max Bergman, the socially awkward coroner who assisted the team a few times last year. Oka and his character seem like a great fit because what is a CBS cop drama without a quirky coroner to help break up some tension? However, that doesn’t necessarily mean Bergman is the new member of the task force Lenkov was talking about.

Late in the season, McGarrett found himself reluctantly (at first) teaming up with Jenna Kaye (Larisa Oleynik) – who also had a score to settle with Wo Fat (Mark Dacascos). At season’s end, Kaye appeared to have an unofficial role on the team. Will her place be more permanent come season 2, or does Lenkov have a completely new character in mind?

Will Jenna Kaye (Larisa Oleynik) be the new team member in season 2?

Fans may worry that the addition of a new member means less time for the expansion of those with already established, but perhaps underdeveloped, characters. One aspect many thought was missing in season 1 was a good solid storyline for Grace Park. Having had so many amazing episodes of Battlestar Galacticarevolve directly around her, being relegated to acting as bait or hacking an ATM security camera seemed to shortchange the actress a bit.

In season 2, Park’s role will increase almost immediately. Lenkov says:

“…we have a really great arc for Kono that starts at the beginning of the year, which we’re excited about because it really gives her a lot of meat.”

Finally, along with the additions and changes to the status quo, the Hawaii Five-0 team will expand their area of influence.

“…we wanted to explore the other islands, and I think we just never got the chance. We’re going to do that this year. We have these little ambitions, and that’s one of them. Because it’s Hawaii Five-0 and not Oahu Five-0, they can go to the other islands. And ultimately we want to explore off the islands. It’s a task force, and the idea is there are no real boundaries for them.”

It’s hard to say if all these changes and additions will result in a better Hawaii Five-0. But with a show like this, more might just work out for the better.

-

Hawaii Five-0 returns to its regular time, Mondays @10pm on CBS this fall.

Well, he can thank Scott Caan for that second season because he is the one saving the show each week. That’s why Scott got that Golden Globe Nomination and now he was submitted by CBS for an Emmy instead of Alex.

I am excited for season 2, especially to see how the team gets out of trouble. Very nervous about an added team member, hoping it doesn’t take away from the core team and the carguments. I truly hope it isn’t the annoying and grating Jenna Kaye. Very cool to see Max, Masi Oka, added as a regular and that Kono will get a storyline. Already in withdrawal, can’t wait for new eps.

I had not watched this show after Christmas. It was getting so bad. I dvr the finale just in case it had improved.
It didn’t. Unrealistic, predictable and boring.
I didn’t even watch the last 10 min
If they want to get viewers back , better keep McGarrett in jail. The actor is terrible. No wonder all he does flops. Give more airtime to Danno. At least Scott can act.

that is the problem, Alex O. is a pretty face and they are sure using that each time they can with the shirtless scenes. But he cannot act.He is a weak actor and even his Aussie accent is there. I was excited with the show but after a few episodes I gave up. They should had gone with a stronger actor. Scott is way better, but a Hawaii 50 where the star is Danno it is not good. Even my wife that liked Alex O. says he is bad in the show and is not watching anymore.
And I watched the Finale the other day, out of curiosity. As bad as always. I will pass next season.

Alex O’Loughlin is a brilliant and charismatic actor. Hawaii 5-0 would be a hit no matter who else was in the cast with Alex in the lead. Congratulations to Alex. It’s about time he got some of the recognition that he deserves and I am so happy that H5-0 is such a success. I predict that he will be s huge success in movies in the future as well – and I base this on the fact that I have seen all of his work. Rock on, Alex O!

Wow, the Alex haters here are harsh. I love Alex as McGarrett. What makes the show for me is the chemistry between the team, particularly Alex and Scott. McGarrett is the emotionally repressed character so the stream of consciousness and emotional overload come from Danno. The two complement each other. Love the carguments and the bromance. I can’t imagine the show without either one of them. I, for one, was ecstatic to have an action show rather than the boring old procedurals saturating the air. Do I take the plots and action seriously? No, it is a tv show! It is my popcorn show – to enjoy the team as they go all out and oftentimes over the top to keep Hawaii safe. Love the show, love Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan and look forward to season 2.

Alex is a good actor, maybe not great, but let’s see them actually give him something that requires greatness before we judge. Scott goes without saying, is the same. He definately recieves the best lines, and delivers them very well. However, this show only succeeds because of how the two of them play off each other so easily. Neither is capable of carrying the show without the other.

I agree with Sean and Tammy. Alex O is a weak actor. I think had they casted a stronger actor, the show would be in the same category of a NCIS or CSI. I would have thought CBS would have learned their lesson by now –pretty looks alone do not make a successful show, there has to be some acting skills involved. Scott is a wonderful actor, good looks, but talented. If he had been paired with a much stronger actor, the show would be enjoying much higher ratings now. BTW, CBS couldn’t even find themselves to put Alex’s name in consideration for an EMMY, that is very telling if I say so.

They don’t give and Emmy for looking good shirtless ,that is all O.Loughlin has going on for him and CBS knows it, that’s why they didn’t put him in the Emmy list. I agree with you, with the right lead in, a good actor with a strong screen presence, this show could had been a new CSI. Who ever put O.Loughlin there made a huge mistake, he cannot carry a show. Scott sure deserves an Emmy because it must be hard to work next to O’Loughin, LOL.And he should ask for a raise too.

The pilot got 14 million viewers, and the season final only 9 million viewers. You can ask that to the 5 million viewers that dumped the show. Probably the worst cop procedural CBS has right now. The pilot was the best one of the series. After that it went downhill. Horrendous acting.If you are a 12 year old, you may like it.

I’m 58 and love it; I’m also an accountant and therefore I’m no slouch, nor am I immature. Of course you are entitled to your own opinion, as am I. I believe that Alex is much better than Jack Lord in this part. I don’t understand what is so bad about Alex’s acting or the show. At least it’s filmed in Hawaii, unlike the original which was primarily filmed in Los Angeles.

No, Jack was much better. He was playing a police chief who was dedicated to his job, cared for the people with whom he worked, and the people he was protecting. He showed fear, concern, compassion, remorse, and warmth as well as seriousness. He was believable in that role, and knew how to convey the right emotions in the right amounts. Alex is a competent actor, but he does not play the role well. He does the seriousness well, but not other emotions. Other actors often upstage him, even with minimal lines. His performance misses the mark. Maybe you like him because he’s not as imposing, intimidating, or commanding a presence as Jack was, and then you miss the whole point of the character and how it’s supposed to played, as well as great acting. I say this as a 30-year-old who did not see the show in its original run.

DSB, I enjoyed the show immensely (and I am MUCH older than 12). It’s a fun show with action, a’la Magnum P.I. or Knight Rider in the 80′s. It doesn’t take itself so seriously like CSI and NCIS do (and I like those, too). Not every single cop show has to be straight laced and by-the-book. 5-O is a bit predictable, but it is a fun ride nonetheless.

Yes, this show is crap.I really love CBS shows, NCSI, CM, CSI…But they missed with this one.
I agree that Alex O. is the weakest link in the show. The poor guy tries too hard each week, but he just has not the talent Scott has.

Thank you Daniel. I agree 100%. So tired of hearing from Alex’s fans that Scott has always the best material. If Alex is such a “brillant” actor as they declare him to be, it wouldn’t matter what material he had to work with, you either got it or you don’t. I have also noticed how CBS is always promoting his “HOT” looks, but never his talent as an actor, hmmm…

I agree too.
Seems some always find an excuse for his bad acting. Geez. What about his other flops?
It is not true that Alex has bad material. He is just not a good actor. Period.
Scott was able to take his character and connect with the viewer. He is brilliant.
Grace and DDKim are the ones no getting enough airtime. Both could do better.
Alex was given the material but he has no idea what to do with it.
This show is a mess.
Poor Scott. Like his dad, he is a great actor.

Agree. And that proves even more that a good actor is able to have bad material and turn it into a good acting.
Scott was even able to get a Golden Globe Nomination from this mediocre show.
As you see , it is not the material but the actor. Scott is a good one.

You bet this show felt short of becoming the neXt NCSI or CSI. Like 11 million short. From the 9 million this show is getting to the 21 of NCSI, is a long way. CBS never suspected the cute Castle show was going to crash it. Castle Finale really beat the Hawaii Finale.
But CBS did a huge mistake, the cast. Alex is very bad, Grace and DD Kim just mediocre actors., and then Scott the only good.
One actor cannot save a show and CBS should had known this. They ruined the remake .

That’s no true.
Alex’s acting has been dry and stiff in all he has done until now. He was wooden in that Medical show that tanked big time.
Truth is that he is useless in emotional scenes. The same face and expressions for very different situations , a Vamp , a doctor or a cop That should no happen to an actor.

You people that are saying Alex is stiff and one-dimensional have obviously never watched the original Five-0 with Jack Lord. A lot of the things that people are dogging Alex O. for are absolutely in character for Steve McGarrett. Geez people.

I am too young to remember the original. But I tried his Vampire show and his medical show and he was stiff in both shows too.
He looks pensive on all his roles.As in the pic in the article. LOL
I don’t think he is well-trained in the
craft of acting. He should take some acting classes.

Jack Lord was a muich better actor, and was not stiff and one-dimensional as some people say. He played the character as serious and cold, but with other emotions, just not as frequent. He showed warmth, compassion, fear, concern, and remorse. If people actually watched the original and paid attention to him, they would see that. Though Alex also has the same seriousness and coldness about him, he doesn’t offset it with other emotions as Jack did. He doesn’t show the same range. Jack did dramatic scenes very well, showing different feelings. People just chose not to notice and labeled him in the same rude way they label Alex.

You are 100% right Billie. It’s just how the original Steve McGarrett behaved. I personally couldn’t stand Jack Lord for other reasons and prefer Alex as McGarrett. I don’t know what everyone has against him? I suppose that’s what makes the world go ’round

Why couldn’t you stand you Jack Lord when you agree with Billie that the way he played Steve McGarrett was right for the part? He was serious, tough, and had command of presence. The people I come across who say they can’t stand him usually are the ones who didn’t watch him that much.

I love the show because of the chemistry between all of the team. I am not looking forward to additional characters. Do something with the ones you have! The M.E, Kamekono, past bad guys (Sang Min!) And get rid of the annoying high schooler Jenna. I have bad feelings about Season 2

I hope they don’t expand things TOO much. I think part of what made the show so entertaining was that the weekly stories were pretty compact within the overall larger story. You could enjoy an episode without having seen all the episodes before hand. I would like to see some more character development, but I don’t think adding more people to the team will make the show any better. I could be wrong, though, and I hope I am!

They are going to make changes in the show. No doubt. The show has been underperforming in that slot. CSI Miami was getting 16 / 14 million viewers in the same slot and Hawaii ended with 10 million and
crashed by Castle.
So they are going to try new things to try to improve the numbers. In my opinion nothing will work. The show is just bad and the acting is very mediocre. Numbers will keep dropping.

I think Detective Ahuna should be made a permanent role, he is the detective that had to arrest Kono. He could definitely be a love interest. Garret Sato has starred and acted in a full range of movies and television

It’s a blow mind serie, congrats to all the theam, I think they will make the best whit the history, More Kono, Danny slowing down McGarret, Chin more wiser, Kaye more Sharp, and by the way the easy way out is UNDELETING the voice record from the McGarret’s Phone.I CAN’T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ugh, you’ve got to be kidding. Awful show. Forced, “cool” banter, ridiculous gun battles and explosions.
Anyone who thinks this is better than the original has no imagination or sense of quality.
Two words: it’s crap

All of the Hawaii Five-O bashers are obviously Castle fans. Only people with bad, and boring taste would think Hawaii Five -O is a bad show. Hawaii Five-O is the best show on TV by far!!!! Alex is a good actor and is doing a spectacular job playing Steve McGarrett. Anyone who knows anything about Hawaii Five-O knows that. I agree, I like the team the way it is and I don’t like Jenna Kaye at all. The Hawaii Five-O bashers need to get a life. Castle is the most boring piece of garbage I have ever seen. I’ll take Hawaii Five-O over any show any day of the week!!!!!

And obviously you are one of those grannies drooling for Alex O.
Hawaii has lost 5 million viewers since the pilot because the show is plain bad. Scott is the only one getting good reviews while Alex is getting the bad ones.
That’s why Scott got a Golden Globe nomination and and has been submitted for an Emmy nomination instead of your Alex.
Alex is hot. That’s all.
NCSI gets over 20 million viewers each week. That’s a good show. No Hawaii with 9 pathetic million viewers. LOL.
BTW, Castle wins all woman demo week after week because Nathan has something Alex lacks, Talent!!

LOL… All you people throwing out MILLIONS of viewers (cough,cough). Check up your data, Nielson only has 25,000 households, upon which EVERY SINGLE VIEWER is taken from. They use a percent of these 25,000 households to determine an estimated viewership total. There is NOT even 1 household outside of these 25,000 Nielson homes that contribute 1 vote to these viewership figures.

Even DVR Ratings are soley taken from Nielson households. You keep right on basing quality of shows based on what 25,000 particular Nielson home members think, as compared to the U.S. TV population of about 115,000,000 viewers. Nielson homes only represent just over 0.02% of the actual TV population, yet they can decide which show is good for the other 99.98% of us????

DREAM ON!!! Nielson Ratings are soley for use by Networks and Advertisers to determine rates for Advertisements on different shows, NOTHING MORE! They do not determine a shows quality.

Actually HFO won Castle most weeks. Only for the last six or seven eps did Castle beat HFO demo wise. In Castle’s weakest weeks mid season it dropped as low as seven million viewers!

The fact is that this is a silly argument. HFO was the number one new drama of the year. It does very similar numbers in its slot to Castle and to The Mentalist and higher than everything else CBS has on at ten pm. ANd better than SVU and most other NBC or ABC shows than maybe Private Practice. You can’t really compare numbers year on year as they are going down every year. And if CSI Miami or other shows were so hot they’d still be pulling in the numbers now. The fact is this is a silly argument and you’re clearly unaware that demo is what matters and HFO has better demo than nearly any other ten pm show with a couple of exceptions. One of which is of course Castle which is a success too. There is room for both.

Oh come on. I watch both shows and like them for different reasons. Castle is a crime series much like CSI but with a more personal story since it focuses on Castle and Beckett mostly. Five-O on the other hand is a more ensemble cast series. In my opinion, at least.

I am from England and the show is not doing that great here. I am not surprised because it sucks big time. The only good thing is Scott C. He deserves a better show.We don’t watch it anymore because it is so lame.

I’m from England too and don’t know what Rebecca is on about! I know lots of people who watch Hawaii 5-O! My husband and I can’t wait for season 2!! We love the humour and dynamics of the team and sad that season 1 over! I think people who expect this to have been a carbon copy of the original would always be disappointed…like those that expected A Team & Dukes of Hazzard (the movies) to be like the tv series! I used to love CSI and NCIS but not watched either in months and as for Castle I think watched it once so never got into it so can’t comment if good or bad!

Agree. The new McGarrett sucks !
Jack Lord will always be Steve McGarrett. You failed CBS!!
CBS should had left the show alone. Now all they got is a mediocre show with mediocre actors and mediocre ratings.
This fake with the cargo pants dude that cannot act will not be remembered in a few years. Hawaii five-0 will always be Hawaii five-o with Jack Lord.

I’m from England as well and I think its awesome
Exciting plots, fun characters. It doesn’t have as many views as other programmes as the new season hasn’t been around for as long.
I can’t wait for sunday nights. Hawaii five – 0 is my favourite programme!!